Gate-opening device for excavators.



Amr. SCHARDING sp1. J. D0 YLE. GATE OPENING DEVICE FOR. EXGAVATORS.APPLIGATION FILED APR. 24. wie.

INVENTORS A; J. SCHARDING a@ P. J. D UYLB GATE OPENING DEVICE FORBXGAVATING.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 24, 1912,

, Patented May 20, l1913.

ATTORNEYS UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIoE.

ALBERT JOHN VscrrAEnme AND rATEIcK JAMES DoYLE, or PITTSBURGH,

PENNSYLVANIA.

GATE-OPENING DEVICE FOR.EXCAVATORSA incense.

l Specification of Letters Patent. Patnted :May 20, 1913. Applicationfiled April 24:,4 1912. Serial No. 692,836. l y

To all whom t vit-"ay concern Be it known that we, lALBERT .ToniaSCHARDIN'G and PATRICK JAMES DoYLE, c1t1` Y.

zens of the United States of America, residing at Pittsburgh, in thecounty of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Gate-Opening Devices for Excavators, of whichthe following is a specification, reference being had therein to theaccompanying drawing. s y

This invention relates to a gateopening deviceespecially designed forthe gates of excavator shovels or scoops, and our invention aims .toprovide steam, air or fluid pressure means for releasing the gates of anexcavator shovel. i

Our invention further aims to provide a gate releasing mechanism thatdoes not interfere with the movement of the shovel or scoop inAconnection with which it is used, the device being arranged whereby itcan be easily controlled by the main operator of the excavator.

Our invention still further aims to accomplish the above results by amechanical construction that is durable, inexpensive to manufacture,easy to install in connection with various types of excavators anddredges, and highly eflicient for the purposes for whichv it isemployed.

Vith this understanding of the principal 'objects of our invention,reference will now be had to the drawing, wherein like numerals denotecorresponding parts throughout the several views, in which l Figure 1 isa side elevation of a portion of afn excavator, illustrating ourdevice.in

connection therewith, Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of a portionofthe excavator arm or walking beam provided with the device, Fig. 3 isabottom plan of the same, Fig. 4 is an elevation of a bucket or shovelgate in accordance with this invention, Fig. 5 `is a side elevation ofa-modied form of device showing the shovelgate in a closed position,Fig. 6 isl a similar view of the device' showing the shovel gate in anopen position, andFig. 7 is a front elevation of a portion of thedevice.

In 'order that the application of our invention to an excavator can bereadily understood, we have illustrated a mast 1, a crane 2, a jib orboom 3, arms or walking 4beams 4, and a shovel, bucket or scoop 5.

These parts of the excavator are of the ordinary and well known type,-and the shovel or scoop y5 has a hinged gatey 6 that is opened wherebythe contents of the shovel or scoop can Abe dumped or deposited at adesired point. The outer side of the gate 6, adjacent to thefree edgethereof, has straps 7v and movably mounted in said strap is a latch 8adapted to engage in a keeper 9 carried by the lower edge of the shovelor scoop 5. -Loosely connected to the latch 8 by a pin 10. is a crosshead 11 having one .end thereof pivotally connected by a pin 12 to aneye bolt 13 adjustably mounted in a lug 14, carried by the gate 6. Theeye.

b'oltl 13 can be adjusted, whereby the cross head 11 can be properlypositioned for shifting the latch 8 to release the gate 6. Attachedl tothe opposite end of the cross head 11i s a cable or rope 15 and -aweight 16. The weight 16, through the medium of the cross head 11,retains the latch 8 in engage- 4mentwith the keeper 9 when there isslacky in the cable 15,' also when the arm or walking beam 4 is beingshifted, as will hereinafter. appear. y

Arranged upon the arm or walking beam 4 is a hanger, comprising a topplate 17, bottom bars 18 and side arms 19, said arms havingthe upperends'thereof extending through the plate 17 and heldin engagementtherewith by' nuts 20. The arms 19 are arranged in sets and connectingthe lower ends of said arms are transverse rods 21 upon which arerevolubly mounted sheaves or pulleys 22. The cable -or rope "15. passesover the sheaves 22 and has the end thereof connected'to an eye orstaple 23,

carried by the upper end of the beam 4f.

Secured to one side ofthe boom 3 is a cylinder 24 having an air or steam'inlet arm 48 that has the outer end thereof conpipe 25, adjacent to oneend thereof,`and an exhaust pipe 26'adjacent to the opposite end. An airor steam supply pipe 27 is connected'to the pipe 25, and the pipe 27 hasa tivowvay valveWhich When adjusted in one direction admits steain'orair' to the cylinder 24 and When adjusted in the other direction cutsofi the supply of steam or air and allows the steam or air Within theupper end ofthe cylinder to exhaust'. two-Way valve 28 is of theordinary and Well knovvn type .forming no part of this invention, andany suitable means can be used for controlling the admission and eX-haust of air to and from the cylinder 24.

Movably mounted Within the cylinder 24 is` a piston 29 having a pist-onrod 30 With the end thereof connected, asat 31 to the slotted end of' acrank 32, carried by a rock shaft 33,.journaled inthe jib or boom 3. Therock shaft 33 is provided with a crank .34 and the end of said crank isbiurcated,

as at 35 to accommodate'a-sheav`e or pulley 36 under which 4passes thecable or rope 15.V

By full lines in Fig. 2,1Lthe cable' or rope 15 has been moved to 'shiftthel cross head 11, move the latch 8 out of engagement with the keeper9,'and permit the gate 6 to swing to an open position. The gate 6 swingsOpen by gravity anddue to the .pressure of the,-

load Within the shovel orscoop, and after the contents thereof have beenremoved, the gate can be manually closed.

From the foregoing it. will he lobserved that We have devised a noveldevice for automatically shifting the latch-of a shovel gate, wherebythe gate can open by. gravity,

and by resorting to the use of the Weight 16.,-

the latch 8 is retained in engagement With the keeper 9, While theWalking beam 4 is being shifted relatively to the jib or boom 3.

ln other words, the movement of the sheaves 22 and 36 upon the cable orrope 15 does not move the cable or rope sufiicientlyto Withn draw thelatch 8 from the keeper 9. y

In Figs. 5 to 7 inclusive there .is illustrated a niodication of theinvention,

Vwherein the jib or boo1n'40 has a transverse rock shaft 41 having oneend thereof provided with a crank 42 that is' connected to the pistonrod '43 of a cylinder 44 similar .to the cylinder 24. Mounted upon therock shaft 41 is a crank 45 and pivotally connected to the outer endot'said crank are .parallel links 46 supporting a she'ave 47.

Loosely mounted upon the shaft 41 is nected to a brace 49 secured to thejib or boom 40. The outer end of the arm 48'is hookeshaped'and isprovided vwith a revoluble sheave 50,the shape of' said arm serving as aguard for a cable. 51 that passes `over the sheave 50 and under thesheave'47.

One end of the cable 51 is anchored and is secured to the Walking beam-4andthe op- Thev Leashes posits end thereof is connected tea latch 52carried by a door The cable 5i., adjacent to the shovel 54, is supportedby a hanger As illustrated in Fig. 5, the gate of the shovel is closedand the cable 51 is taut.

lt is thought that'the operation and utility of the device' will) beapparent without further descriptiomland While in the drawing there isillustrated a preferred embodi-I ment of. the invention, it is to beunderstood that the' structural elements thereor" are susceptible tosuch variationsL and modieations as tall Within the scope of the .ap`-`pended claims.A

What We claim is 4 1. In a gate releasing device for excavators, thecombination of a. Walking beam pro- 1 vided'with a shovel having a gate,a latch fory closing said gate, of. a boom, a flexible elementtor-releasing said latch, said element having one end engaging with the'latch and its other, end ixed to said Walking beam, a sheave suspendedfrom said Walking beam and over which said element travels, a rock shaftsupported by said boom, a crank carried by said shaft and provided witha rotatable element. engaging said flexible elements, and a iiuidpressure operated de vice carried by the hoorn and connected to saidrock shaft for operiat-ing it for pulling said Hexible element torelease the latch ot' the gate. l

2. ln a gate releasing device tor excavators, the combination ofavvalking beam provided With va shovel having a gate, a latch forclosing said gate, o f a booirnla flexible element for releasing saidlatch, said element having one end engaging with the latch and its otherend fixed to said Walking beam, a sheave suspended'i'rom said Walkingbeam yand over which said element travels, a rock shaft supported bysaid boom, a crank carried by said shaft and provided with a rotatableelement engaging said 'Flexible element, aseeond crank 'carried by saidrock shaft-,and a Ifluid pressure-operated device including a pistonslidalily connected. to said second crank and adapted when operated toshift said rock sha-ft `:vhineby said lirst crank.'

vv-ill shift said flexible element to release the vlatch to open thegate.

3. ln a gate releasing device for creava* tors, the combination with aWalking beam provided with a shovel having a gate, a latch 4for closingsaid gate, o i a boom. a tiexible elementffor releasingsaid latch, saidelement having one end engaging with thelateh and 'its other end fixedtovsaid Walking beam, a pair of sheaves suspended from said beam` andover ivhichsaid flexible 'element travels, a rock shaft supported hysaid boom iis' and. provided with a pair of cranks, one of said crankscarrying a rotatable elementengagllg said flexible element at a. pointbetween said sheaves, and a fluid pressure operated device connected bythe other of said cranks and adapted when operated to shift the rockshaft thereby pulling said flexible elementto release the latch to openthe gate.

` In testimony 'whereof We a'ix our signa,-A tures in the presence' oftwo Witnesses.

ALBERT J OH N SCHARDING. PA' RICK JAMES DOYLE.

lVitnesses z J. lV. BRADY, MAX H. SRoLovI'rz.

